Councillors unite behind RNLI after volunteer abuse
The motion, presented by Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Chris Holley at the full council meeting, praised the Mumbles lifeboat crew’s long service and condemned the recent abuse.
South‑west councillors have unanimously backed the RNLI after anti‑migrant protesters in England targeted volunteers with what they called “unacceptable attacks”.
The motion, presented by Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Chris Holley at the full council meeting, praised the Mumbles lifeboat crew’s long service and condemned the recent abuse.
“As a maritime city we appreciate what they have done and what they do,” Cllr Holley said, before the motion was seconded by Cllr Mary Jones.
Cllr Jones recalled the 1947 SS Samtampa disaster, when eight members of the Mumbles crew lost their lives while rescuing a storm‑tossed vessel, describing current attacks on RNLI crews as “deplorable”.
Labour council leader Rob Stewart described the situation as “bizarre”, adding that a belief “that some human life is less valuable than others” underpins the hostility.
Conservative leader Cllr Lyndon Jones called the attacks “totally unacceptable”, while Cllr Sam Bennett said supporters of the motion were “on the right side of the argument”.
Cllr Sara Keeton labelled the criticism “doubly obscene”, noting that those who denounced the RNLI described themselves as patriots.
During the debate, Swansea Cllr Hannah Williams, whose husband has served on the local lifeboat for more than 25 years, highlighted the personal toll on volunteers.
“The pager is always there,” she said. “It does not discriminate between a quiet evening at home, a child’s birthday, a family barbecue, a meal out.”
Everything is cast aside the minute that pager sounds.”
She added that families dread the alarm at 2 am when a force‑10 wind is blowing, and cannot rest until the crew member returns.
“That’s why I found it truly appalling to see the way some members of our lifeboat family have been treated recently,” Cllr Williams said. “They deserve our thanks, they deserve our respect, and they deserve our unwavering support.”
The motion cited the RNLI’s freedom of the city award in 1987 and urged that volunteers be “supported and thanked not attacked”. It also warned that no one should interfere with the charity’s lifesaving work.
Last month a small minority of anti‑migrant protesters in England labelled the RNLI “traitors”, prompting the RNLI museum in Poole, Dorset, to close after several instances of verbal abuse.
The RNLI’s website states that it launches lifeboats to any small vessel in the English Channel when HM Coastguard reports a possible danger, treating every boat in distress as a rescue case regardless of the occupants’ background.
Council members agreed that the charity’s impartial response to emergencies is a cornerstone of maritime safety and that any attempt to hinder its volunteers is an affront to the community.
The unanimous backing sends a clear message that South‑west authorities will stand with the RNLI and its volunteers, whose readiness to answer the pager at any hour remains vital to saving lives at sea.